Free Things to Do in Denver (and Beyond) This Week

We’re heading for fall, and the forecast is for fun this week, with Oktoberfests across Colorado, plenty of outdoor concerts…and pirates!

Check our weekly list for one-off activities worth the price of admission. Now keep reading for free things to do in Denver (and beyond) this week:

Ongoing

SCFD Free Days
Locations and dates vary
Thanks to the sales tax you pay into the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, many art institutions around the metro area offer occasional free days and programs  Admission to the Mizel Museum is free on Friday, September 19; for more upcoming bargains, check the SCFD site.

Civic Center EATS
Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Civic Center Park
For over a decade, food trucks have rallied at Civic Center for lunchtime fun that often includes live entertainment. The fall session started September 10.

Skyline Beer Garden
Wednesday through Sunday
16th and Arapahoe streets
Experience summer the Denver way at this outdoor beer garden with food, drinks, games and live entertainment all summer long. Find the complete schedule here.

Upper DownTUNES
Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.;  Thursday and Friday, 4 to 7 p.m.
Outer Space, 16th and Welton streets
Liven up your lunch at Upper DownTUNES, a free live music series in Upper Downtown Denver.

This Week

New American Arts Festival
Through Sunday, September 21
Roshni Healing Arts Center, 9709 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora
Roshni is presenting the eleventh annual New American Arts Festival, under the theme “Confluence: Move as One, Excluding None,” with programming through September 21.

Colorado Startup Week
Through Thursday, September 18
Downtown Denver
Colorado Startup Week is a free, community-driven celebration of bold ideas and entrepreneurial spirit — across Colorado and beyond. Originally known as Denver Startup Week (and actually a week long), CSW will bring together over 10,000 founders, investors, creatives, and changemakers for a week of learning, inspiration and connection. The closing event is a Thursday happy hour at Skyline Park; find the full schedule here.

UnidosUS Colorado Community Townhall
Wednesday, September 17, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Salon Madrid Event Center, 6495 Monaco Street, Commerce City
Four Colorado organizations — CLLARO, Adelante Community Development, Mi Casa Resource Center and Newsed Community Development Corporation — in collaboration with UnidosUS in Washington, DC, are holding this town hall to discuss the real-life impact of federal policy decisions on Colorado families. Learn more here.

The Narrators: Host
Wednesday, September 17, 8 p.m. (doors at 7:30)
Buntport Theater, 717 Lipan Street
This monthly storytelling show will kick off the High Plains Comedy Festival with a show full of true stories on the theme of “Host.” You can name your own price for a seat, or grab floor seating for free.

Food, Culture & Journalism
Thursday, September 18, 10 to 11:45 a.m.
Anderson Academic Commons, Room 290, 2150 East Evans Avenue, University of Denver
This year’s Margolin lecture is by Gustavo Arellano, author of “Ask a Mexican,” 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner, celebrated Los Angeles Times columnist and winner of this year’s University of Denver Anvil of Freedom, talking about Mexican cuisine, Latino communities and the power of storytelling through food. Julia Roncoroni, associate professor in the Morgridge College of Education and head of the Health Disparities Research Lab, will start the program with insights from her forthcoming cookbook; additional remarks will come from Lina Reznicek-Parrado, associate teaching professor and director of the Spanish Program for Heritage/Bilingual Speakers, and Carlos Jimenez Jr., associate professor in Media, Film and Journalism Studies. The event is open to the public; register here.

Pirate Night and Pirate Fest
Friday, September 19, 6 to 10 p.m., and Saturday, September 20, noon to 10 p.m. (adults only after 6)
EB Rains Jr. Memorial Park, 11701 Community Center Drive, Northglenn
Scallywags and buccaneers will be out in force this weekend when Pirate Fest returns, complete with music, performers, grog, a cardboard boat race, the Pirate King competition, food trucks, drinks and more.

Night Market: Fiesta en el Mercado
Friday, September 19, 5 to 10 p.m.
Civic Center Park
The Night Market returns to Civic Center Park, this time as Fiesta en el Mercado, a free event celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month that will include a vibrant mix of Latin cuisine, craft cocktails, artisan vendors, live performances and interactive art — all curated to highlight the diversity and creativity of Denver’s Hispanic communities. “Civic Center Park has always been a gathering place for our city, and our Night Market events are a powerful way to celebrate the many cultures that shape Denver,” says Eric Lazzari, Executive Director of Civic Center Conservancy. “Fiesta en el Mercado is rooted in community, and it honors Hispanic heritage while uplifting the local makers, chefs and performers who help make our city vibrant.”

Do you know of a great free event? We update this list through the week; send information to editorial@westword.com.